


Out Of The Depths

by allonsyarielle



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Coming Out, Established Relationship, Jewish Character, M/M, Russian Israeli Tater, The story of how Kent and Alexei eloped in Israel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 23:32:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14821007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsyarielle/pseuds/allonsyarielle
Summary: Kent and Alexei are both knocked out of the playoffs early and took advantage to go on an extended vacation together and end up eloping along the way.





	Out Of The Depths

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this last year and never posted it even though it was mostly finished. There is so much more backstory I think I was trying to work in but didn't so I might end up writing some extras of just my headcanons surrounding this AU because I have so many because a lot of it is based around my own experience living in Israel in a town that was heavily Russian populated.
> 
> Title comes from an Idan Raichel song that I'm not even 100% what the song is about cos I've never taken the time to translate it but it gives me romantic vibes and was something I was listening to while writing this.

The only thing worse than not getting to celebrate your first wedding anniversary because you are playing in a playoff final game, is when you also happen to be playing against your husband’s team in that game. And it's not just any playoff game, but Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Yeah, in hindsight Kent and Alexei maybe should have put a little more consideration into timing when they decided to elope in the off season last summer. But isn't that also the point of an elopement, no thoughts for planning, just the spontaneity of getting married?

They had both been knocked out early last season. The Falcs in five games after the first round, and the Aces never even made it to the playoffs, coming off a bad season of too many injuries and mistakes. So they decided to take advantage of their extended summer and finally go on that Mediterranean cruise they had always wanted to do but never had time for. Three weeks cruising through the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, then an extension in Israel to visit Alexei's family since their port of call was Haifa, and Kent had never been.

Marriage wasn't something on either man's mind at the time. They were both still living on opposite ends of the country, only spending time together during bye weeks or when their teams happen to play each other. And while both were out to their teammates, they had decided they hadn't wanted to come out publicly yet. Their relationship didn't need that much stress. They just wanted to enjoy what little time they got to spend together without the watchful eyes of the media. Jack had come out a while ago so they wouldn't be the first, but it was one thing to be an out player in the league, and a very different story to be dating a fellow player.

It was about a week into the cruise that marriage first crossed Kent's mind.  Kent had been sitting alone at the poolside bar nursing his second pina colada (it was vacation, he was allowed) watching Alexei ride the waterslides over and over again with half the cruise’s kids when the woman in the stool next to him struck up a conversation.  

“So one of those yours?” the woman asked in slightly accented English.

Kent laughed.

“Yeah, that giant man-child,” Kent pointed toward where Alexei had just come splashing down off the slide with a child in his lap.  He waved over to Kent when he caught his eye, who waved back.

Alexei had become kind of famous among the kids on the ship, though not because any of them really knew who he was.  It had all started on their second day aboard the ship, which was also a long day at sea. Alexei had overheard a young Russian boy talking to his parents who was afraid of the waterslides.  His mother kept encouraging him and telling him she’d be right there at the bottom waiting for him, but he still looked petrified. Alexei approached them and told the little boy it wasn’t so scary, then went up, rode the slide down to prove his point, offering to take the boy with him on the next run.  The boy hesitantly agreed, then after a couple of times, the kid finally was brave enough to try it on his own, but the splash he made at the bottom was so much bigger when he sat in Alexei’s lap that he preferred to drag Alexei with him. The two had been inseparable ever since. Then word got around the ship among the kids, and it seemed like every kid on the ship now wanted to ride the slide with Alexei for the giant splash at the end.  Kent didn’t mind sitting on the sidelines watching. He didn’t really enjoy the playing in the water part of going to the pool, and much preferred relaxing on the patio in a lounge chair, sipping a cold cocktail and reading a book.

“Oh, you must be Kent.  I’m Sofie. My little Annika loves taking the slide with Tater so much, it’s all we hear about all night at dinner.”

Kent’s eyes went wide.  That was the first time he’d ever been recognised for something other than hockey, and he was surprisingly fine with that.

After that, Kent and Sofie started hanging out by the pool some days while Alexei and Sofie’s daughter, Annika, enjoyed the waterslide, becoming fast friends.  Sofie was from Sweden, and she and her daughter and finance, William, had come on this trip to get married. Apparently it was a popular thing to get married out at sea by the captain, because they had to wait until the third week of the cruise for a time slot.  About a week into their friendship, Sofie asked if Kent and Alexei wanted to be their witnesses and come to the ceremony. Standing there in the little ship’s chapel, listening to Sofie’s and William’s vows, watching Alexei cry like a baby (even though their vows were in Swedish and Kent knew Alexei’s Swedish was not that good, though it was better than his own), suddenly Kent was picturing an entirely different situation, and to his surprise, it didn’t terrify him.

Later that night back in their cabin, Kent couldn’t fall asleep, mind still wandering, imagining what it might be like marrying his Alyosha.

“Alyosha,” Kent said, nudging Alexei a little to see if he was asleep yet.

“Hmmm,” Alexei hummed, nearly, but not quite yet asleep.

“You ever think about getting married?”

“Yes.  Be wanting.”  He mumbled something in Russian Kent couldn’t quite understand before he switched back to English.  “Is late, kotyonok. Sleep now. Talk later.”

“Wait, are you serious?”  Kent sat up, because now he was too awake and knew he was never getting to sleep until they had this talk.  Alexei really wanted to marry him? Sure he'd come a long way with his own insecurities but the idea of forever was still not a concept Kent was familiar with. People always leave, one way or another, and even though he knew Alexei loved him and wasn't going anywhere, there would still always be that part of him just waiting for the other shoe to drop. For the long distance and crazy schedules to get exhausting. For not being able to be out in public like normal couples to get to be too much.

Alexei grunted, wanted to get sleep but also knew Kent well enough to know he wouldn’t let the conversation be postponed until the morning.  Even without opening his eyes, he could see how in his own head Kent was getting, which was never a good thing.

“Kent. Kenny. Kotyonok. I love you.  Very much. Would marry tomorrow if wanted.  Didn’t think you wanted marriage.”

“I—Well, I hadn’t really thought about it, honestly. But, something about meeting Sofie and Will and their wedding, I dunno, suddenly I just got this imagine of you standing there in a tux by my side saying your own vows, and it’s kinda nice.  Though maybe we’d have a chuppah over our heads and break the glass, even if I don’t quite understand that tradition, but it seems like fun." The image lightened some of the darker thoughts that had crept into Kent’s head.

“Is destroying of temple,” Alexei mumbled still not really fully awake because it was late and he spent half the day running up and down the waterslide with half a dozen young kids.

“What?”

“Ugh,” Alexei groaned finally realising he was not getting to sleep any time soon.  “Breaking glass like destroying Temple. Remember worst times, celebrate happy, Mazel tov.”

“Yeah okay, still don’t get it, I just want to smash some glass.”

“Wait, you saying you want to be married?  Really?” Now Alexei shifted so he too was sitting up against the headboard. He was more fully awake now that he realised this conversation was seriously happening.

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.  Let’s just like elope. Like right now.  Or maybe not _right_ right now but here on this trip.”

* * *

They decided to hold off on the elopement until after they disembarked back in Israel.  Even though neither was particularly religious (Alexei was more observant than Kent), they both decided actually having a Jewish wedding was important to them so Alexei’s family helped them find a rabbi who could marry them at such short notice.  Plus, getting married in Israel had the added bonus that at least some of Alexei’s family could attend. His parents had left Russia long ago and he had a handful of aunts, uncles, and cousins in Israel as well. It wasn't a big affair, but nice to at least get to share with some family.

The wedding took place on a quiet beach just south of Caesaria where the water was the bluest Kent had ever seen.  There were these beautiful, natural sand dune structures lining the beach. It really was the perfect picturesque spot.  They were both barefoot during the ceremony, sand between their toes (though they did put on shoes for the breaking of the glass).  It was perfect. More perfect than Kent could ever imagine. And if Kent cried while signing the Ketubah, well at least none of his friends or teammates were there to chirp him about it.

They kept their marriage quiet for a while, only telling their families, and their GMs just in the off chance the media found out so their PR teams could be prepared.  Kent’s mom and sister were upset at first when they found out Alexei’s family had been there, but quickly got over it once Alexei’s mom shared the video and photos they had taken so they could pretend like they had been there.  

They hadn't meant to keep the news from their teams for as long as they did. But keeping the secret turned into an in-joke between them, either waiting to see which of them would slip first or who of their friends would notice first. Both Kent and Alexei were half expecting Bitty to have a sort of sixth sense about these things and show up to Alexei’s house with a wedding pie or something, but nothing ever happened.

* * *

 

Surprisingly, it was Kent that was the first to slip. Though if you asked him, he’d say it was entirely Alexei’s fault!

Kent had just returned from a week long stay in Providence on an off week in December. Coincidentally, this week also overlapped with most of Chanukkah.

One evening, while playing dreidel and watching the candles burn, Kent was recalling a childhood Chanukkah memory.

His mom couldn't afford store bought latkes for Kent and his sister, and she didn't have the time to make them from scratch while working two jobs to help keep Kent in hockey gear and food on the table, so what she used to do was buy frozen tater tots and smush them down into pancakes and call them latkes. For years, Kent didn't realise that wasn't actually how latkes were made.

Of course this little story then prompted Alexei to declare he was changing his nickname from Tater to Latke, since after all, he was a Jewish potato and should have a Jewish potato nickname.  Kent tried to explain to him that's not how hockey nicknames work. You can't just decide to change them. Plus Latke was an awful nickname. Alexei didn't care though and continued to refer to himself as Latke for the rest of the week.  Eventually, the tormenting was even taken up a notch as he discovered the Debbie Friedman “I Am A Latke” song, and proceeded to serenade Kent with it every chance he got. He thought he was hilarious. Kent rolled his eyes in loving annoyance every time.

What Kent had failed to realise though, was before he returned to Vegas, Alexei had hijacked his phone and left him a surprise.  A surprise Kent discovered as he was walking back to his stall from the showers after practice and heard that awful song blasting from his phone.  

“Parser, your Latke is calling,” Jeff said handing over Kent his phone. The little shit even changed his display name to “Latke.”

“I fucking hate you,” Kent said in lieu of a greeting.

“Oh good, I see you find surprise,” Alexei replied laughing like he made the funniest joke.

“Seriously, remind me why I married you.”

“Because I'm best.”

“Nope, you are the worst.  Worst hus--” Kent suddenly cut himself off as he realised the commotion going on in the locker room around him.  He was so caught up in being annoyed about the freaking song that he forgot he was standing in the locker room in nothing but a towel surrounded by half a dozen teammates.  It took him a second to even realise what he had said to spark the uproar. “Um, babe, I think I need to call you back later. I might have just accidentally outed us to half the Aces locker room and probably have some explaining to do.”

“Probably?”  Jeff parroted.  “How about hell fucking yes!  Deets, now! You two got fucking married?  Without me? When?”

* * *

Kent called Alexei back after he finished filling in Jeff and the other Aces on their summer nuptials.  They had agreed it was only fair now for Alexei to tell his own teammates, since it was no longer a secret, starting with Jack and Bitty.

Kent’s phone buzzed with an incoming text not long after hanging up with Alexei.

 **Jack:**  I can’t believe you beat me and Bits down the aisle!

Kent laughed because of course Jack would turn this into a competition.

 **Kent:**  Well, to be fair you guys have been “setting a date” for like two years!  Slugs could beat you two down the aisle!

 **Jack:**  I didn’t even know you wanted marriage

 **Kent:**  To be honest, neither did I, but I don’t regret it for a second

 **Jack:**  You’re happy?

 **Kent:**  The happiest.

 **Jack:**  Good.

* * *

It really was amazing how long the media stayed blissfully ignorant of Kent and Alexei’s relationship.  While they valued their privacy, they had given up on putting extra effort into hiding, especially once they shared the news of their marriage with their teams.  But all the media saw when they looked at Kent Parson and Alexei Mashkov was a heated rivalry that dated back to that time Kent accidentally collided with Snowy after that dirty goal and got pulled out of the pile by Mashkov.  They weren’t even together back then, barely even friends, but after they did start dating they did play into that rivalry as a way to keep their relationship hidden.

The Aces ended up losing Game 7, the Falcs taking home their first Stanley Cup win.  The game went to overtime. It was probably one of the hardest games of hockey Kent had ever played.  Not because he was playing against his husband, but because both teams were just so evenly matched and determined, playing their hearts out for the win.  It was both physically and mentally exhausting. In the end, the Aces just got outplayed when a beautiful slapshot went topshelf from Jack on a pass from Tater with just minutes left in OT.  Kent almost forgot his team lost and he wasn’t supposed to be celebrating, because he was just so proud.

“Kent, you guys played hard, but ultimately came up short.  How does it feel to come so far, yet go home empty handed?”

Kent had the typical media response on the tip of his tongue before he changed gears.

“Well, the Aces might not have won this one, but we played hard and put in a good fight.  It was a tough game, a tough series, really, and someone had to lose. But, I won’t be going home empty handed tonight, because my husband just won his first Stanley Cup and I couldn’t be more proud!”  Kent flashed a smile at the camera, then skated off before the reporter even had time to recover from that bomb he just dropped. He skated right up to his husband. His Stanley Cup Champion husband. They had discussed coming out in the off-season, so Kent only jumped the gun by a few weeks.  “Babe, I hope you don’t mind I kind of just outed us to a reporter, also I’m about to kiss you right--” His words were cut off by Alexei’s lips on his.

“Happy anniversary, Kennushka.”

“Happy anniversary, Mr. Stanley Cup Champion.”

Alexei was beaming.  Kent was the happiest he’s ever been, well maybe with the exception of their wedding.  But suddenly their little bubble burst and they were brought back to the fact that they were still standing center ice, surrounded by the entire Falcs team.

“Well, I’ll let you celebrate with your team and maybe go help defuse some of the media I’m sure is going crazy right now.  I’ll see you at home later. Love you.” Kent gave him one more quick kiss then skated off toward the tunnel, but not before he turned to look back over his shoulder and saw his husband, the love of his life, hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head.  Kent couldn’t be more proud.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm aokayinspace on tumblr!


End file.
